Brick stack grab



Sept. 3, 1940.

R. A. FONTAINE BRICK STACK GRAB Filed May 12', 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 505a? 14. x qfazhe llllllllll IIIIIIIIH IIIIHIIII Sept. 3, 1940- R. A.FONTAINE BRICK STACK GRAB Filed May 12, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a e addfozer'i 5. 52 72% i176 Sept. 3, 1940. R. A. FONTAINE 2,213,629

' BRICK STACK GRAB Filed May 12, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 77- fier'ffaalaa'rye I I f v 4 35 3 I) Slum/MA,

Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

The invention relates to devices or apparatus for handling bricks orother similar blocks in stack form and has for its general object theprovision of a novel device adapted to be disposed over a stack ofbricks or the like and embodying means for frictionally engaging,clamping or applying pressure to the lowermost tiers for the purpose ofclamping them so tightly that the entire stack may be readily liftedabout from place to place without danger of disarrangement, all of theupper tiers or rows being adequately supported upon the clamped lowerones.

An important object of the invention is to provide a grab device of thischaracter and for this purpose which may be formed simply as a more orless skeleton-like frame disposable over a brick stack by simplevertical movement with respect thereto, or which may form part of atruck body disposable about the stack by combined vertical and lateralmovement with respect thereto.

A particularly novel and important feature of the invention is theprovision of a brick stack grab embodying a series of springs adapted to5 engage the individual successive rows of bricks,

together with peculiar and novel means for forcing such springs intoclamping relation to the bricks.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a brick stack grabin which the brick engaging springs are forced into clamping relation tothe bricks by means of an inflatable device of a yielding nature whichwill operate to force the springs into engagement with the suc- 5cessive rows of bricks positively, notwithstanding considerablevariation in the dimensions of the successive rows, all of the rows inthe lower tiers being consequently so firmly and defimtely clamped thatthe load of the upper tiers will be adequately supported so that thestack may be lifted about from place to place without the slightestdanger of any of the bricks dropping out.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy touse, positive in action, -eflicient and durable in service, and ageneral improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing-and other objects and advantages, theinvention preferably consists in the details of construction and thearrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the invention showing theskeleton type of device being lowered into position about a brick-stack.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the pneumatic pressure deviceinflated to force the springs 5 into clamping relation to the lowertiers of bricks, the dot and dash lines indicating the lowermostposition and the full lines showing the device in the act of lifting thestack,

Figure 3 is a top plan view with portions broken 10 away,

Figure 4 is a rear elevation with parts broken away and in section,

Figure 5 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a truck body constructed to embody theinvention.

Figure 7 is an enlarged side elevation of the lower portion thereof, thereleased position of the abutment clamping means being shown by dot anddash lines and the clamping position thereof being shown by full lines,

Figure 8 is a'horizontal section taken on the line 8-4 of Figure "I,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical section through the lower end of therear portion showing the pneumatic spring actuating means inflated,

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the pneumatic pressure applyingdevice,

Figure 11 is an elevation taken at right angles to Figure 10.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and especially Figures 1 to5, 10 and 11, I have shown the device as comprising rear and front wallsto and II formed as flat plates or sheets a reinforced on their outersides by corrugated sheets I! and I: which, though light, will giveadequate strength to the structure. The top of the device consists of aflat or plane plate It and a corrugated transverse wall member i5 40therebeneath. In spaced relation to this corrugated wall member IE is atransverse corrugated reinforcing wall member I 6. Located at thejunctures of the front and rear wall members with the top are angle barsll which really constitute the connecting means inasmuch as the rear andfront wall members l0 and ii are secured, as by welding, to the verticalflanges of these angle bars, while the plate I4 is secured upon the topof the horizontal flanges, and the corrugated wall member i5 is securedto the underside of the horizontal flanges. Eye bolts l8 pass throughthe top plate M, the horizontal flanges of the angle bars i1 and thecorrugated wall, member I5 and are equipped with nuts I9 beneath thelatter, there being four of such eye bolts disclosed and they being ofcourse for the purpose of attachment of hoisting means to the device.Located at the junctures of the rear and front wall members with thetransverse reinforcing wall member it are angle bars 20 which likewiseconstitute connecting means inasmuch as the front and rear walls aresecured to the vertical flanges of the angle bars while the transversereinforcing wall member [6 is secured upon the top of the horizontalflanges. Securing, in each instance, may conveniently be by welding.

Suitably secured to the inner face of the plate I0 of the rear wallstructure is a channel bar 2| which has its open side toward the plateand which is located preferably about midway the height thereof, andsecured to the inner face of this channel member is a series of leafspring elements 22 having rearwardly extended lower end portions 23.Secured in turn against the forward faces of the springs 22 arevertically extending spring elements 24 connected at their upper ends byan angle bar 25 secured thereto in any desired manner, and having theirlower ends extended rearwardly at 26 and underlying and secured to therearward extensions 23 of the springs 22. The spring elements 22 and 24are intended to be all of the same width corresponding to the width ofthe successive rows of bricks and are adapted to be forced intoengagement therewith for clamping the rows of bricks against the frontwall of the device, this front wall consequently constituting anabutment.

The means for applying pressure to these spring elements for the purposeof bringing about the clamping action is pneumatic in character and isherein disclosed as comprising a section of inflatable rubber hose 21arranged horizontally at the lower end of the device and extending thefull width thereof. This hose is located within the conflnes of achannel bar 28 suitably secured to the inner face of the lower portionof the plate ill of the rear wall structure. The ends of this inflatablehose section are closed by suitable clamps 29 and the hose is providedwith a valve stem 30 through which compressed air may be passed for thepurpose of eflecting inflation. The channel bar 291s so located that thebottom flange thereof is above the rearward extensions 23 and 26 of thespring elements 22 and. 24 and the purpose of the channel bar and theextensions 23 and 26 is to limit collapsing of the inflatable hose andto protect it, it being clear from an inspection of Figure 1 that whenthe grab is in ineffective but potential condition, that is to say whenthe inflatable hose is collapsed, the spring elements 22 will engageagainst the flanges of the channel bar 23 and the extensions 23 and 26will engage against the inner face of the plate III of the rear wallstructure immediately beneath the lower flange of the channel bar,thereby forming what may be considered a housing for the collapsedinflatable hose.

In the operation of this form of the invention, it will be seen thatinitially there is no air pressure within the inflatable hose, the partsbeing then in the position shown in Figure 1. Of course it should beunderstood that the spring elements 22 have suflicient resilience toassume the vertical position shown in said figure. The grab is thenlowered by vertical movement or by a combination of vertical and lateralmovements into embracing relation to the brick stack 3| to be handled,the position being as indicated in Figure 1 wherein the full linesillustrate the partly lowered position and the dot and dash linesindicate the fully lowered position. To clamp the lower tiers of thestack it is then mereqy necessary to introduce compressed air throughthe stem 30 into the hose 21 which then becomes inflated with the resultthat the spring elements 22 and 24 are forced toward the front wallstructure of the grab in flrmly clamping relation to the bricks. Owingto the location of the inflatable hose 21 at the lower end of the grabit is apparent that it is only the lowermost tiers of bricks which willbe forced positively against the plate ID of the front wall structure.The pressure is suflicient to hold the bricks so closely together andflrmly that all the bricks above the lower tiers will be adequatelysupported thereby so that the stack may be readily lifted about fromplace to place without danger of disarrangement. It is an importantfeature that the number of spring elements 22 and 24 corresponds withthe number of rows of bricks so that the successive rows will beindividually clamped notwithstanding that there may be 'a materialvariation in the dimensions of the successive rows owing to inevitablemanufacturing variations in the bricks themselves. In actual practice ithas been found that a variation of as much as half an inch is readilycompensated for. If this were not provided for it is clear that one ormore of the rows might drop out. However, with my arrangement thisdanger is avoided. When the stack has been moved to a desired newlocation, to release the grab it is merely necessary to permit the airto escape from the inflated hose through the stem 33 whereupon theresilience of the spring elements 22 will cause them and the springelements 24 to withdraw from engagement with the stack, subsequently towhich the grab may be readily removed by lifting it vertically or movingit laterally out of surrounding or embracing relation to the stack.

In Figures 6 to 9 inclusive I have shown a modification of the inventionin which the grab is built into a truck body 32 of a type which isU-shaped in horizontal or cross section, the body including a back wall33 and side walls 34 which may be integral therewith or attached theretoin any suitable manner. The top is closed but the bottom and front ofthe body are open. The forward edges of the sides are extended laterallyand then rearwardly to form channels 3! which act as stiffening orreinforcing means. At the lower ends of the sides 34 are angle bars 30.The lower portion of the rear wall 33 is formed with an outward offsetdefining a chanel 31 at the top of which is located an angle bar 33secured to the top of the offset and to the outer face of the rear wallfor stiffening or reinforcing purposes. The ofl'set 31 is continued tothe outer edges of the horizontal flanges of the angle bars 36 and theends thereof are closed by plates or the like 39. Bracing is effected bymeans of inclined portions 4ll forming part of the plates 39 andsuitably secured to the outer faces of the sides 34 and the top of thehorizontal flanges of the angle bars 36.

Secured against the inner face of the back wall 33 of the body is aseries of leaf spring elements 4| provided at their lower ends withrearward extensions 42 underlying the bottom flange of the channel 31 soas to form a housing for an inflatable rubber hose section 43 having aninflation stem 44 and constructed in exactly the same manner-as thepreviously described hose section 21.

In view of the fact that in this form of the invention there is no frontwall on the body it becomes necessary to provide some other abutmentmeans againstwhich the lower tiers of bricks will be forced andconsequently clamped. Accordingly I provide a channel bar 45 stiffenedby a truss 46 suitably secured thereto. ends of this channel bar areangle bars 41 adapted for engagement by hooks 48 formed on the ends ofarms 49 pivoted at 50 within clevises 5| on the ends of links 52. Formoving the hooks 48 into or out of engagement with the angle bars 41 Iprovide operating levers 53 formed at one end with clevises 54 pivotedat 55 within brackets 56 mounted upon the horizontal flanges of theangle bars 36. The clevises 54 receive the rear ends of the links 52which are pivoted thereto at 51. Keepers 58 are provided on the sides 34of the body beneath which the operating levers 53 may be engaged forholding them against accidental releasing movement.

In this particular instance the body 32 is represented as associatedwith a truck and is movable from a vertical position on the groundorother surface into a horizontal position upon the truck chassis by meansof a species of derrick device indicated generally at 59. As a matter ofof fact the truck structure and its connection with the body 32 and the'means for moving the body from a vertical position on the ground orother surface into a position upon the truck may be the same as isdisclosed in my Patent No. 1,866,640, granted July 12, 1932, Shiftablebod trucks.

In the use of this form of the device, the trussed channel is laid uponthe ground or other surface in engagement with the brick stack 3|. Thetruck body 32 is shifted from its normal horizontal position upon thetruck into a nearly vertical position with its bottom spaced a shortdistance above the ground or other surface, and

- the truck is backed so as to bring the body 32 into embracing relationto the stack subsequently to which the body is permitted to descend soas to rest upon the ground or other surface in a vertical positionsurrounding the stack, the closed top of the body engaging upon the topof the stack. The operating levers 53 are disengaged from their keepers58 and are swung rearwardly to move the arms 49 rearwardly so that thehooks 48 on the ends thereof may be engaged with the angle bars 41 atthe ends of the channel 45. The

operating levers 53 are then swung forwardly with respect to the truck,they being moved one at a time if there be but one operator or both atthe same time if there are two operators. The levers are moved to theirforward limit of movement with respect to the truck and are reengagedbeneath the keepers 58. This operates to hold the channel 45 in closeengagement with the lower tiers of the stack. Of course while this isdone the inflatable hose 43 must be in deflated condition. Thesepreliminary steps having been taken, air under pressure is passedthrough the valve stem 44 into the hose 43 which becomes inflated. Theresult is that the springs 4! are positively and forcibly urgedinto-engagement with the lower tiers of the stack so that they arefirmly clamped against the channel 45. This frictional engagementresulting from the pressure exerted is suflicient to hold the lowertiers of bricks so firmly that they are well capable of At thesustaining the load of the remainder of the stack without danger ofdisarrangement when the drive mechanism on the truck is operated to drawthe body thereonto. It is of course to be understood that the individualleaf springs 4| correspond in number to the rows of bricks so that thedifferent springs may be moved to different extents to compensate forvariations in the dimensions of the rows as explained in connection withthe first form of the invention. After the stack has been transported tothe desired location the power mechanism on the truck is operated tolower the body and stack tothe ground or other surface, after which theair pressure within the inflated hose 43 is relieved whereupon theresilience of the springs 4| will cause them to withdraw from engagementwith the bricks. The operating levers '53 are disengaged from theirkeepers 58 and swung rearwardly with respect to the truck to disengagethe hooks 48 from the angle bars 41, and the channel bar 45 is removed.The body may then be drawn up onto the truck and the truck driven away.

- From the foregoing description and a'study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a very simply constructed andextremely easily operated means for clamping the lower tiers of a brickstack with such firmness and positiveness that the complete stack may bereadily moved about from place to place or otherwise handled without anydanger of disarrangement of any of the bricks. It is apparent that noparticular skill is required to operate the apparatus and that thedevice is bound to be a great time and labor saver as well as a distinctconvenience. It is thought from the above that the construction,operation and advantages will be quite clear to one skilled in the artwithout further explanation.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of the invention,it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exemplificationof the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all suchchanges in the details of construction as will widen the field ofutility and increase the adaptability of the device provided suchchanges constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. Means for grabbing and holding a stack of bricks so that it may belifted about in its entirety, comprising a body including a back and afront abutment means, means for rigidly connecting said abutment means,and means located intermediate the upper and lower edges of the stack,and means carried by the back wall rearwardly of said members for urgingthe same into engagement with the stack for clamping said bricks againstsaid front abutment means for substantially the entire height of saidstack.

3. Means for clamping a stack of bricks to enable the same to be liftedabout intact, comprising a body including a back wall, a front wall,

, vertically extending spring means carried by the back wall andnormally in retracted relation to the stack, and fluid pressure meanswithin-the body for forcing said spring means outwardly from said backwall. for clamping the stack of bricks between the spring means and saidfront abutment means.

4. Means for holding a stack of bricks to enable the same to be liftedabout intact, comprising a body including aback wall, a front wall,

and means adjacent their upper marginal edges for connecting said walls,the front wall forming an abutment means adapted to engage the adjacentface of the stack of bricks for substantially the entire height thereof,a series of vertically extending spring members carried by the back walland in normally retracted relation with respect to the stack, and fluidpressure means for moving said series of spring members outwardly fromsaid back wall for clamping the stack of bricks against said frontabutment means.

' 5. Means for holding a stack of bricks to en-.-

able the same to be lifted about intact, comprising a body including aback wall, 'a front wall, and means adjacent their upper marginal edgesconnecting said walls, the front wall forming an abutment means adaptedto engage the adjacent face of the stack of bricks for substantially theentire height thereof, a series of spring members carried by the backwall intermediate its upper and lower edges and in normally retractedrelation with respect to the stack, and fluid pressure means for movingsaid series of spring members for clamping the stack of bricks againstsaid front abutment means, said spring members corresponding in numberto and being engageable with the vertical faces of the respective rowsof the bricks in the stack.

6. Means for clamping a stack of bricks to enable it to be lifted intactfrom place to place, comprising a body including aback wall and a frontabutment means and disposable over and about the stack, a series ofvertically extending leaf springs carried by the back and normally inretracted relation to the stack, and expansible fluid pressure operatedmeans located between the back wall and said leaf springs for forcingthe front abutment means into engagement with the bricks for clampingthe stack of bricks between said front abutment means and the series ofleaf springs for substantially the entire height of said stack.

7. Means for clamping a stack of bricks for enabling it to be liftedabout intact, comprising a body including a back wall and frontabutmerit means and disposable over and about a stack of bricks, aplurality of spring members carried by the back wall and correspondingin number to the rows of bricks considered horizontally, said springmembers being normally in retracted relation to the stack, and aninflatable flexible member carried by the back wall and located betweenit and said spring members for forcing said spring members intoengagement with the successive respective rows of bricks for clampingthesame against said front abutment means.

8'. Means for clamping a stack of bricks for enabling it to be liftedabout intact, comprising 2,218,639 and means for rigidly connecting saidwalls adjabricks, a plurality of spring members carried by the back walland corresponding in number to the rows of bricks consideredhorizontally, said spring members being normally in retracted relationto the stack, and an inflatable flexible member carried by the back walland located between it and aid spring members for forcing said springmembers into engagement with the successive respective rows of bricksfor clamping the same against said front abutment means, said inflatablemember consisting of a section of rubber hose closed at its ends andprovided with a valve stem for permitting introduction and subsequentexhaust of fluid pressure.

9. Meansfor clamping the lower tiers of bricks in a stack to enable thestack to be lifted about intact, comprising a body including a back walland a front abutment means, said body being disposable over and about astack of bricks, a plurality of leaf springs, carried by the back andnormally retracted with respect to the stack but movable to engage therespective rows of bricks horizontally considered, and a yieldable hosesection closed at its ends carried by-the back wall at the lower portionthereof and located between the back wall and the lower ends of saidleaf springs, said hose section being inflatable to force said leafsprings into engagement with the respective rows of bricks in thelowermost tiers for clamping said lowermost tiers against said frontabutment meanswhereby the lowermost tiers will be enabled to support theload of the bricks thereabove without disarrangement.

10. Means for clamping a stack of bricks to enable it to be lifted aboutintact, comprising a body including a back wall, a top wall equippedwith hoist attaching means and further including a front wall, a seriesof leaf-springs secured at their upper ends against the innerface of theback wall and extending downwardly, spring members carried by said leafsprings and extending the full height of the stack and corresponding innumber to the number of rows ofbricks horizontally considered, andnormally in retracted relation to the stack, and an inflatable hosesection mounted at the lower portion of said back wall between the sameand said leaf springs and inflatable to force the rows of bricks in thelowermost tiers into clamping relation between said spring members andsaid front wall.

11. Means for clamping a stack of bricks to enable it to be lifted aboutintact, comprising a body including a back wall, a top wall equippedwith hoist attaching means and further including a front wall, a seriesof leaf springs secured at their upper ends against the inner face ofthe retracted relation to the stack, and an inflatable hose sectionmounted at the lower portion of said back wall between the same and saidleaf springs and inflatable to force the rows of bricks in the lowermosttiers into clamping relation between said other springmembers and saidfront wall, said rear, top and front walls being formed as flat platesexteriorly reinforced by corrugated plates secured thereto.

12. Means for clamping a stack of bricks to enable it to be lifted aboutintact, comprising a body including a back wall, a top wall equippedwith hoist attaching means and further including a front wall, a seriesof leaf springs secured at their upper ends against the inner face ofthe back wall and extending downwardly, other and inflatable to forcethe rows of bricks in the lowermost tiers into clamping relation betweensaid other spring members and said front wall, a channel member on theback wall and within which said hose section is located, said leafsprings being engageable with the flanges of said channel member whensaid hose section is collapsed.

13. Means for clamping a stack of bricks to enable it to be lifted aboutintact, comprising a body including a back wall, a top wall equippedwith hoist attaching means and further including a front wall, a seriesof springs mounted against the inner face of the back wall, other springmembers carried by said first named springs and extending-the fullheight of the stack and corresponding in number to the numberof rows ofbricks horizontally considered, and normally in retracted relation tothe stack, an inflatable hose section mounted at the lower portion ofsaid back wall between the same and said first named springs andinflatable'to force the rows of bricks in the lowermost tiers intoclamping relation between said second named spring members and saidfront wall, a channel member on the back wall and within which said hosesection is located, said first named springs being engageable with theflanges of said channel member when said hose section is collapsed, andrear- 5 ward extensions on the assembled first and second named springmembers engageable with the back wall beneath said channel member. I

14. Means for holding intact a stack of bricks during lifting thereof,comprising a'body member including a back wall and side walls, said bodymember being disposable in embracing relation to a stack of bricks by acombination of vertical and lateral movements with respect thereto, afront abutment member disposable upon the ground or other surfaceagainst the stack at the front of the body, lever operated clampingmembers carried by the. side 5wallsof the body exteriorly thereof forclamping said front abutment member to the body, a plurality ofdownwardly extending leaf springs secured at their upper ends'to theintermediate portion of the back wall at the inner face thereof, saidleaf springs corresponding in number to the number of rows of bricks andnormally in retracted relation with respect to the stack but movable toengage the respective rows in the lowermost tiers of bricks, and a hosesection carried by the back wall and located between the same and thelower ends of said leaf springs and inflatable toclamp the bricks in thelowermost tiers against said front abutment member.

ROBERT A. FONTAINE.

